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Overview of Coogee’s Australian Postbox held in Sydney, Australia on October 28, 2020. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has launched an investigation into Australia Post. CEO Christine Holgate said last week when the Senate estimated that a government-owned company had bought four Cartier watches worth about $ 20,000. (Ryan Earrings / Getty Images)
According to Courier-Mail’s exclusive report, Australia Post is upgrading its technology to alert customers with more accurate delivery times by sending text messages.
Previously, customers were sent a message on the day of arrival, but were not given a more specific time frame for delivery.
The $ 20 million (US $ 14 million) upgrade to Australia Post’s system will implement estimated time of arrival notifications in time for Christmas. This follows a successful trial in October.
According to The Courier-Mail, 6,000 drivers will adopt the technology.
Australia Post’s Head of Network Implementation, Col Hindle, used the COVID-19 pandemic period to inform customers as so many people are sending parcels to their homes more than ever before. He said he tested the possibility of continuing to offer.
“The two-hour time frame provides more transparency and information to our customers about when the parcel will arrive,” he told The Courier-Mail.
“This is especially useful for Christmas, and especially when getting out of the blockade in New South Wales, Victoria, and ACT.”
According to Australia Post, about 9 million Australians bought online during the pandemic. Online purchases increased by 57% in 2020.pdf).
Australia’s e-commerce market is accelerating faster than expected, accounting for more than 16% of the retail market. This number was not expected until 2023.
This will allow Australia to match pre-pandemic numbers in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Australia Post deploys more than 500 new electric delivery vehicles, including three-wheeled battery-powered bicycles that can carry more luggage and reduce the number of times mail carriers spend refilling at depots By doing so, we are working to respond to the surge in demand.
The new alert technology is part of a $ 440 million investment to help postal services meet demand.
This includes hundreds of new 24-hour lockers that allow customers to deposit parcels for access at the right time. The luggage will be stored in the locker for 48 hours and then returned to the post office for collection.


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A new Angry Birds game is coming soon to Apple Arcade
Rovio has revealed it will be launching a brand new Angry Birds game at some point in the future. It’s called Angry Birds Reloaded and will be released exclusively on Apple Arcade.
Angry Birds Reloaded aims to take the series back to its roots, featuring Red, Chuck, Bomb, Silver and the rest of the gang in its classic slingshot action. The familiar physics-based gameplay from the first game is there, but it’s now remastered with enhanced visuals, new characters and lots of destruction.
But it’s not completely back to basics. Angry Birds Reloaded also features bits and pieces taken from other elements of the Angry Birds universe, such as levels where you must battle both Pigs and the Eagles from the Angry Birds movies.
Other than that, you should know what to expect from this title. You can get power-ups that allow you to boost the destructive strength of your birds through different abilities such as aiming further or flying higher. This means you can pull off more impressive moves to beat each stage.
my epic og flock is back, lookin' cooler than ever with new (yet familiar!) faces– both friendly and foe! Angry Birds Reloaded, coming soon exclusively on @applearcade! ???????? pre-register now at: https://t.co/SKfjZn72hO pic.twitter.com/jfLjgR895u — Red the Angry Bird (@AngryBirds) June 15, 2021
You can also track your scores with the leaderboards system against other players across the world, with the game using iCloud to track it.
The first Angry Birds game was released on iOS way back in 2009 and became an instant classic. Pocket Gamer’s own Keith Andrew reviewed it at the time, calling it “addictive as any puzzler gets with light-hearted gameplay that flies with the best of the flock”.
Angry Birds Reloaded is coming to the iOS App Store via Apple Arcade at some point in the future.Read about some of our favourite action games on iOS.

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So today yuMobile launched a Ksh 2 per hour data offer. I wonder who will use that but I can understand the joke these people are trying to pull. It is just not funny though. And they did that when they realised that Safaricom might be launched a more advanced data offering for its clients. We were later assured that the faster 3G services will be available in other parts of Nairobi and Mombasa within the next 3 months
And so Safaricom has upgraded over 80 base stations to offer 3G data services with speeds of up to 21 Mbps. The total investment in the upgrade is Sh80 million with the service available in the operator’s 3G network in Nairobi.
The only downside to this which we bluntly told the CEO of Safaricom is that it is a bit discriminative. Safaricom has identified an area it calls its Data Belt. The area is served by the upgraded 80 3G base stations and covers Langata, Lavington, Westlands, Upperhill, South C, South B and parts of Industrial Area. They traditionally show high internet usage on Safaricom’s and will now enjoy faster speeds that can potentially go up to 21Mbps. Safaricom upgraded and has been testing its data network in these areas at for the last two weeks.
“We understand the huge potential of the internet as a tool that can bring about massive improvements in education, entertainment, health service provision, agriculture and other facets of life. At Safaricom, our aim is to ‘democratize’ the internet and bring it to as many Kenyans as possible. With the launch of this upgrade that allows for faster speeds, we are demonstrating true leadership in this quest,” said Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore.
Before the upgrade, the maximum speeds for a subscriber was at 7.2 Mbps while the maximum capability of a 3G base station was 14 Mbps. Following the latest upgrade, which cost about Sh1 million per site, the user experience in terms of internet speeds is expected to at least double. Average user internet speed is currently between 700 Kbps to 1.5 Mbps during busy hours.
With the upgrade and using a high speed modem, which are now available at Safaricom Shops, the user will now enjoy average speeds of between 2.5 and 3 Mbps during peak hours and maximum speeds in excess of 17 Mbps off-peak, a massive improvement. It is important to note that actual speeds may not reach the maximum level as 3G is a shared resource and speeds are eventually dependant on usage levels at a given time.
Safaricom plans to further extend the data upgrade to the rest of Nairobi with another 50 sites earmarked for an identical revamp in the next three months before the program is taken to the rest of Nairobi and other key towns in Kenya, starting with Mombasa.
Mr Collymore spoke during an experiential launch of the upgrade at the Michael Joseph Centre last evening, noted that the move was a direct response to consumer concerns and promised that the firm would continue listening and acting upon user feedback.
The upgrade of Safaricom’s consumer data offering also saw the introduction of new modems to support the speeds. One of the modems introduced is the Huawei E1820 modem which can serve upto 21 Mbps data speeds. The modem also comes with a memory that can be expanded.
Safaricom was the first Kenyan operator to commercially launch a 3G network in October 2007, ensuring that its subscribers accessed high speed mobile data. The technology was initially available in and around Nairobi but was later rolled throughout the country within a year. Last week, the firm announced the installation of over 120 3G base stations in Western Kenya as part of an ongoing strategy to revamp its network capability in the region.
Safaricom has been actively investing in its 3G network, the only one in Kenya since it was launched. The network boasts the kind of wide reach and versatility that will ensure data customers take full advantage of the latest upgrade as the consumer data market continues to record rising demand. Safaricom has sold over 500,000 data-enabled devices that include mobile handsets and modems and the results are already clear. Today, out of every 10 Kenyans who use the internet regularly, at least 9 of them access it through the Safaricom network.


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Verizon, the company that offers mobile and landline communications services, including broadband internet and phone service, is currently facing an outage at many locations.
Many users are currently experiencing issues with calls. Several of them are complaining that calls keep failing & dropping. Many users have taken the route of Twitter to express their concerns to Verizon Wireless. Have a look at a few complaints down below.
Down Detector, an outage tracking website, also confirms that Verizon is currently having server issues & technical problems. Have a look at the current outage map down below.
Verizon has officially responded to several customers regarding the ongoing issue. However, they have not made any official announcement on their Twitter handle yet. Have a look at a tweet where Verizon has addressed the user problem.
We understand the importance of staying connected! When did you first notice that your calls were dropping calls? Also, have you attempted any troubleshooting steps? *MDI
Rest assured, we’re keeping a close eye on all related developments, and will update the story with relevant info as and when we come across any. So in case, you’re encountering the issues discussed here, stay tuned for updates.
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Editorial: Service dog legislation needed, but onerous
Service dogs seem to be fairly common nowadays. Question: Is that dog you see “really” a service dog?
The state Senate, on a party-line vote Thursday, approved HB 2588. It would make it illegal for someone to “fraudulently misrepresent” a pet as a legitimate “service animal.” Violators would be subject to fines of up to $250. The measure, first approved by the House 50-10 in February, received a 17-11 approval in the Senate this past week; it now goes back to the House for OK on final changes.
Lawmakers are hoping to keep dogs out of grocery stores, restaurants and airports if they have no legal right to be there. Sen. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, says, “Right now it is perfectly legal to buy a $20 vest on Amazon.com, put it on your pet and take it into a store.”
Senators in opposition remind that, while business owners cannot ask the person about their disability, they may ask the owner to remove their animal — even a service dog — if it poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. This also applies to animals that are out of control, not housebroken or “fundamentally alters the nature of the public place or the goods, services or activities provided.”
They contend law enforcement should not be involved.
What the opposition misses here are the key words of “health,” “not housebroken,” and “alters the … goods or services.”
Like Kavanagh, we do not want to place our groceries, for instance, where a service dog has sat, slathered or is not housebroken. “I don’t want some dog being wheeled around a supermarket in the same cart I’ll put my food in later to be able to stay just because he’s not misbehaving,” Kavanagh said.
What both sides are missing is what constitutes a “service dog,” a “therapy” dog or a “comfort” dog? Telling the difference is difficult and may soon be a big deal, if the bill passes and the governor signs it.
An act of “service” for their human may range from opening doors, retrieving items, guiding, and detecting stress/PTSD, even blood-sugar levels, among other tasks. This can be documented. The other dogs are in more of a gray area, giving “therapy” to the owner, while what we call “comfort” dogs are more of a companion only.
Service dogs — for which no national registry exists — go through months of training and are often identifiable from their special vests but more so their behavior and tasks they perform. (Currently the Americans With Disabilities Act does not require service dogs to wear identifying tags, vests or other equipment.)
And, the use of fake service dog products — such as those vests available online — cheapens the dogs that are “real” service dogs; though, owners of the imposters would note that any dog provides some sort of service. The challenge is that the comfort dogs wearing fake vests can sometimes be seen in grocery stores or other places where they really do not belong.
The debate comes when the public judges or questions the presence of dogs, often thinking or saying aloud “I don’t see a disability.”
This legislation is needed, even if only to clarify that your pet better be a true service dog if you want to take it into a business.
Short of establishing a national registry or an official ID for the genuine service dogs, reality is it may go down as another law that is difficult-to-impossible to enforce.
Editor's Note - This editorial has been updated to clarify that the Americans With Disabilities Act does not require service dogs to wear identifying tags, vests or other equipment.


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Cuban Minister of Agriculture Visits the United States
A Cuban delegation, headed by the Minister of Agriculture of Cuba, Gustavo Rodriguez Rollero, concluded today his visit to the United States, at the invitation of the Department of Agriculture of that country.
According to the report of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, the Cuban Minister held meetings with Thomas Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, as well as the deputy secretary, Michael Scuse; and with the Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. The Cuban delegation visited places of interest related to the production and research in the state of Iowa and there they exchanged with farmers and experts.
Both agriculture holders agreed to continue negotiations for specific instruments on cooperation in animal health and plant health matters. This would also honor a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Agriculture and other related spheres, which was signed in Havana on March 21, during the visit of President Obama.
The exchange in the field of Agriculture has been very limited due to the regulations of the US trade embargo on Cuba. US producers who sell products to the island can only receive payments in cash, which affects their competitiveness; equally, Cuban agricultural products can not be sold in US territory. Many producers, such as Louisiana State, have been working for years to promote the lifting of these restrictions and the elimination of the Embargo in full.
Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker held a meeting with Cuban Minister of Agriculture in Washington, June 3, 2016. Source: Twitter account of the Ministry of Commerce


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Last week, Marriott International revealed that it suffered a breach of its Starwood reservation database. The breach exposed the personal information of up to 500 million people.
The breach began back in 2014 and anyone who stayed at any of Marriott’s Starwood properties (i.e. W Hotels, St. Regis, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Element Hotels, Aloft Hotels, The Luxury Collection, Tribute Portfolio, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, Four Points by Sheraton, Starwood timeshares and Design Hotels that participate in the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) program) on or before September 10, 2018 may have had their information exposed.
Hackers accessed people’s names, credit card information, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers, dates of birth, gender, Starwood loyalty program account information, and reservation information.
Two massive multi-billion dollar class-action lawsuits have already been filed against the company. Meanwhile, the nature of the breach raises some serious questions — mainly how did the breach go undiscovered and unreported for more than four years?
Following last year’s massive data breach at the credit reporting agency Equifax, VPIRG joined other consumer and privacy advocates in pushing through a number of reforms to better protect Vermonters from these breaches and give them better recourse when they do occur. However, there’s much more than can be done.
We don’t have all the details of this breach yet – but it suggests that improvements to our data breach notification laws and an expansion of security standards for companies that maintain sensitive personal information is needed. VPIRG will be advocating for these types of reforms in the upcoming session, along with other improvement to bolster the security of Vermonters’ personal information.
In the meantime, here are some important steps you should take if you think you may have been impacted by the Marriott data breach (h/t U.S. PIRG and the FTC for some of these tips):
Protect yourself from fraudsters opening new accounts in your name by getting credit freezes at all three nationwide credit bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Credit freezes are the best way to prevent someone from opening a new account in your name, and thanks to a law VPIRG helped pass last year these freezes are now free. VPIRG will be advocating to a change in the law that allows you to place a freeze at just one bureau and have it automatically apply at the others, simplifying the process for consumers.
- Place a fraud alert on your credit files. Credit freezes are the best tool to prevent fraudulent activities in your name, but a fraud alert is another useful tool to monitor potential suspicious activity. These alerts are also free and stay on your credit file for one year. During that time, creditors are notified that you may be an identity theft victim and they should verify the identity of anyone seeking credit in your name.
- Monitor your credit for suspicious activity with a free credit report by visiting annualcreditreport.com. You’re entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the nationwide credit bureaus, meaning you can check your credit for any suspicious activity every four months. Use the website above to safely receive this report.
- Avoid tax refund fraud by filing your taxes as soon as possible, before thieves do. Also, if you qualify, get an Identity Protection (IP) PIN.
- Avoid Social Security benefits fraud by signing up for your “my Social Security” (MySSA) account before thieves claim it and change your direct deposit info to route into their checking accounts.
- Be wary of phishing scams. Ignore unsolicited requests for information by email, links, phone calls, pop-up windows or text messages. Marriott will notify its affected customers about its breach by email (email@example.com) and has said it will not ask for personal information or include attachments.


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LIVE FROM LG G4 DAY LONDON: LG Electronics became the latest top tier vendor to reveal its premium smartphone for 2015, with the company focusing its presentation on the “human-centric user experience” it offers.
“The LG G4 started with a small but very meaningful goal. The focus of the innovation should not be pure technology. It must be based upon understanding the user – put simply, innovation for a better life,” Brian Na, president of LG Electronics Europe, said here today.
Much focus was on its design, which sees the familiar touch-screen front face mated with a “hand-crafted, genuine full-leather grain” rear. A version with a ceramic rear will also be available (pictured).
G4 has a “slim arc” which runs along the body, which LG said offers 20 per cent better durability than a flat smartphone in face-down drops, while giving a more comfortable and secure feel in the hand.
Andrew Coughlin, head of mobile for LG Electronics UK and Ireland, said: “Over time smartphones have become monolithic slabs of flat, uniform cold metal. “What’s wrong with that?” I hear you ask. They are thin, they are slim, and they are pretty. But you have to wonder if these designs truly cater to customers’ needs and desires”.
The executive noted issues with the current standard smartphone design including metal and glass bodies that are “not all that comfortable or stable”, while attracting fingerprints.
Unsurprisingly the company was also keen to highlight technical developments including a 16MP front camera with f1.8 aperture lens, which enables more light to hit a sensor that has been increased in size. It is also said to be the world’s first smartphone with a colour spectrum sensor, which can assess the RGB values of the ambient light in a scene to enable accurate capture.
Also new for the G4 is a “manual mode”, which enables “experienced photographers” to control a number of parameters, with the ability to save images in RAW format.
LG G4 also features a new 5.5-inch “IPS Quantum Display”, which is said to offer 20 per cent greater colour reproduction, a 25 per cent improvement in brightness, and 50 per cent greater contrast.
Other highlighted features include a removable high-capacity 3,000mAh battery, “a rare feature in today’s high-end smartphones”.
LG G4 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, rather than the chipmaker’s range-topping Snapdragon 810. In a video talking up LG’s work with Qualcomm, Steve Mollenkopf, the silicon vendor’s CEO, said that the device “is an ideal example of how optimising technologies to meet customers’ actual needs can enable superior results and experiences, beyond just increasing the number of cores and aiming for higher benchmark scores”.
Other features include 8MP front facing camera, 32GB of on-board storage with microSD expansion slot, and 3GB of RAM. It runs Android 5.1, with LG’s latest user interface, UX4.0.
LG G4 will start its global rollout today in South Korea, and will eventually be available with 180 operators worldwide.


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Microsoft decided to delay its February 2017 Patch Tuesday update for a month, due to some issues with the update package. However, the company has decided to release an Adobe Flash Player update in the meantime.
BenQ America made its PV270 27-inch desktop monitor for video post-production available to purchase for a hefty price. It comes with a hood for blocking out the surrounding light and Technicolor certification for color accuracy.
A less comfortable typing experience isn't the only thing users of Apple's new MacBook Pro keyboard are complaining about. Some have encountered non-functional and non-uniform keys, as well as high-pitched sounds.
Beijing-based Jide Technology has taken the wraps off an Android-based operating system that transforms your smartphone into a desktop when plugged into an external monitor. It's fully compatible with Android apps.
Microsoft's HoloLens AR solution is perhaps the most advanced in terms of becoming a part of the real world. Stryker, which is using HoloLens to redesign the operating room, provides a clear example of the potential of AR in this…
Now that the Oculus Touch controllers have had some time to pick up steam among Rift users, Google is releasing a new version of an old favorite for the Rift platform. Starting Tuesday, Tilt Brush is available on the Oculus Rift.
Images of the upcoming Ryzen 7 1700X desktop processor from AMD have arrived, comparing the new chip to an older FX-branded model. The CPU-Z details of this specific chip were released, along with its Cinebench R15 results.
A third Windows 10 update, codenamed Redstone 3, is expected at some point in late 2017. Now, Microsoft has finally confirmed that it is scheduled for this year, as part of a presentation at its Ignite 2017 event in Australia.
Yahoo's security breaches are costing the company more than a quarter of a billion dollars. Verizon Communications, which previously agreed to pay $4.8 billion for the tech giant, has now renegotiated a lower price.
A large-scale cyberattack, dubbed "Operation BugDrop," was perpetrated against targets in Ukraine. At least 70 organizations were attacked, with huge amounts of sensitive information data stolen using PC microphones.


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NEW YORK—It's shaping up to be a good four- to five-year stretch for the hotel industry. That's if you believe a slew of hotel executives at the New York University International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, here at the Marriott Marquis.
The annual conference is an early summer barometer of which way the wind is blowing in the hospitality industry. In this case, it's a tailwind, said Thomas Baltimore, CEO of RLJ Lodging Trust, during the "REIT Beat" panel. "I think we are in the fifth inning," he said. "I see another four to five years in the cycle."
Jay Shah, CEO of Hersha Hospitality, was in agreement on Baltimore's prediction. "Unemployment continues to improve and that helps the economy," he said. "We are in an era of urbanization, globalization and digitization. It drives travel."
Added Monty Bennett, chairman and CEO of Ashford Hospitality Trust, "We have many years to run. The Fed is very accommodative. Rates need to move up to slow it. I don’t see recession any time soon."
CEOs Check In
Good news from the real estate investment trusts, yes, but what do the hotel company CEOs think? Turns out, more of the same optimism. Richard Solomons, CEO of InterContinental Hotels Group, said it best: "We have 37 months of record demand."
The other hotel operators during "The CEOs Check In" panel (pictured) were of similar accord. "There is rising wealth, greater demand and a big influence in technology," said Frits van Paasschen, CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
"The high end and low end are both doing positively," said J. Allen Smith, president and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. "With exception of locations of political strife, there are remarkable RevPAR gains from around the world."
Understanding guests, personalization and emerging markets were other topics of import. Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott International, said Marriott Rewards, Marriott's loyalty program, will hit 50 million members this year. "They all like being engaged," he said. "The focus now is on capturing folks we don’t have. Let's find SPG members, bring them in and see what they are all about."
IHG Rewards is about 80 million members strong, said Solomons. "It's the personalization piece," he said. IHG recently added new brands, health-minded Even and Hualuxe, a brand for the Chinese guest because "Chinese travelers are different than others," Solomons said. "Consumer segmentation is key, not a price point. There is interest in our new brands because you are talking to the customer about that they want."
For Smith, a relative newcomer as CEO, and whose background is in real estate asset management, luxury is still not about the box but the guest. "Our connection with the consumer," he said. "It's all about people and service. I've yet to discern a correlation between guest comments and the building. No one has ever written me about floors, architecture—they write about the people, the staff. Culture and people distinguish our brand. It's about customization, personalization, the Instagram moment—that’s what people are seeking."
In other markets, its about understanding who the customer is, like in China. "The Chinese traveler is focused on mobile and last-second check-in," said van Paasschen. "It's about understanding forces of change."
Amanda Hite, president of STR, offered a fundamentals overview of the industry. Supply growth, she said, was still muted at .8 percent growth in the U.S.—there are 103,000 rooms currently under construction in the U.S., a 43-percent boost over last year. The bulk of the rooms—68 percent—are in the limited-service segment.
In New York, there are 13,230 rooms under construction—the highest in the U.S.—followed by Miami. "It will be interesting to see how it's all absorbed," Hite said.
Demand growth remains steady, Hite said, with the highest increase—10 percent—in the Middle East. The only decline in demand was in Africa at -2.3 percent.


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P.S. Next Wednesday I’m releasing an update to my Predictions issue for Top Stock Insights. We did the first issue of it back in January to lay out how investors should invest in 2009. We were spot on and make huge profits for subscribers. This new update comes at a time when the market rally appears to be petering out and investors really need solid data and investment ideas. Click here to sign up for your copy and a 30-day trial to the service.
Oil dropped below $60 a barrel as consumer confidence came in below expectations. The belief is that when the American consumer is not confident, he or she does not spend money.
That’s true to an extent. A brief look at airfare and hotel deals will tell you that Americans are not traveling as much as we have in the past. Indeed, just visit Yahoo! News and put in the term "hotel bankruptcy" and you get over 1,100 results with articles highlighting the latest hotel bankruptcies: tough time to be in the hospitality business.
And retail sales showed clearly that we aren’t headed to the mall as much, either. But iPhones seem to be selling pretty well. And foreclosure sales have been going pretty well, too.
As for oil, the schizophrenic International Energy Agency (IEA) just raised its demand forecast for 2010 by 1.4 million barrels a day. Seems like the IEA was just lowering estimates a couple weeks ago.
In any event, after taking profits on oil positions in my Top Stock Insights and SmallCapInvestor PRO advisory services, I’ll be looking to buy oil stocks again sometime in the next couple of months. That’s because demand is only half the story on oil. (Click here to find out more about Top Stock Insights and click here for SmallCapInvestor PRO.)
Oil companies are not investing as much to bring new supply on line. So when demand does return, companies won’t be able to ramp supply quickly enough. This will lead to demand outstripping supply. And prices will rise. In fact, some believe supply and demand will reach parity in 5 years or less. That’s a dangerous situation. And as an investor, you are almost obligated to own oil stocks.
*****"We are at the cusp of stabilization…" So says Stephen Stanley, chief economist at RBS Securities. Economists are raising their growth forecasts for the second half of 2009 from 1.2% to 1.5%.
Granted, that’s not a big move, but we’ll take what we can get. And maybe a little bullish talk will help consumer confidence.
Of course, consumers will probably notice when unemployment averages 9.8% in 2010. The U.S. economy has changed in some fundamental ways. The auto and finance industry job cuts may well be permanent. And it could take a few years for new jobs to be created.
*****Cold War politics are alive and well. At the G-8 meeting in Italy, Russian president Medvedev pulled a coin from his pocket that he said represents the new world currency. Medvedev even has the motto for this global currency worked out – "unity in diversity" is printed on the coin that was minted in Belgium. Quaint, isn’t it?
What does Russia hope to gain with this tactic? Nobody wants to buy their bonds. And a global currency won’t give Russia any new influence. Oil is priced in dollars, but even then, a new currency won’t affect oil’s value, only its relative price.
So it would seem that Russia is simply messing with the U.S. And that’s a strategy that could backfire, mainly because Russia has no leverage. I’d expect to see other countries come out in support of the U.S. dollar just because Russia doesn’t like it.
*****Now, here’s TradeMaster Daily Stock Alerts’ Jason Cimpl with his weekly video chart analysis. Enjoy! Click here to view the video.


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K-Beauty brand Cosmopolitan has been forced to remove a product from its shelves amid claims that it contains black mold.
K-Beautic, a Japanese cosmetics company, said it would remove the cleaning spray from its stores in Tokyo on Friday.
A statement from Cosmo stated that “we take this matter very seriously and are investigating it.”
Cosmo was not immediately available for comment.
Cosmo’s other brands, Cosmo Skin and Cosmo, were also affected by the news.
The product has been removed from the Cosmo website.


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It's beginning to look a lot like ...
Retailers are getting an early start on their seasonal hiring efforts, with Target announcing that it will hire 40% more workers during the holidays this year.
The retailer said Wednesday that the seasonal hires, an increase of 30,000 workers from the 70,000 people it hired last year, will stock shelves at its more than 1,800 stores or fulfill online orders that customers pick up in stores. In addition, it plans to hire 4,500 people to help pack and ship online orders at its warehouses.
Target joins Ulta Beauty, Kohl's, Michaels, Williams Sonoma and other retailers who have jumped on holiday hiring early. Walmart has also begun some seasonal hiring, but has not announced how many it will hire in total this holiday season. Amazon has also not announced its holiday hiring spree plans.
Online fulfillment company Radial says it will bring on more than 27,000 seasonal workers to support retailer demand for fulfillment and customer care talent during this peak holiday season.
"Radial has the second-largest holiday workforce and eCommerce fulfillment footprint behind Amazon, executing 10 million orders during the 2016 peak season," said Sean McCartney, EVP, Operation Services, at Radial. "During the critical holiday rush, retailers struggle more than ever to convert eCommerce revenue, capture market demand and deliver on the customer experience. This make-or-break season is truly powered by the hard work of dedicated seasonal employees, which is why Radial will expand our workforce by 400 percent to ensure holiday packages arrive on schedule and retailers offer the customer service expertise they often can't deliver on their own."
According to the National Retail Federation, retailers will hire upwards of 650,000 over the next few months.
Last week, Target said last week that it would slash prices on cereal, paper towels and thousands of other items. The company said Wednesday that it wants to ensure that the experience for customers is seamless at stores.
Target Corp. said it will hold nationwide hiring events from Oct. 13 through Oct. 15.


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DOES jet lag have you nodding off at odd times on holiday?
Well one Chinese firm is cashing in on the urge for a midday kip by renting out sleeping pods from just 70p per half hour.
Holidaymakers can join worn out Chinese workers in need of a nap and check in to a capsule hotel for as little as half an hour at a time.
Customers open the space-age pods in Beijing, by scanning a QR code with their smartphones after reserving a bed online.
Unlike in Japan, where the capsule hotel was first pioneered, the Chinese pods are meant for short stays and are busiest during lunch hours as workers grab the opportunity for a rest.
Prices go up from 6 yuan (70p) to 10 yuan (£1) for 30 minutes during the mid-day rush.
The small pods are just roomy enough to allow a good sleep, but might prove hard-going for any claustrophobic users.
Each capsule comes with air-conditioning, a reading lamp, a mini fan and disposable bedding.
Customers must leave their shoes outside and enter the pods barefoot and are expected to throw out their disposable bedding before the next guest arrives.
Han Yue, operations manager at Xiangshui Space said: “It’s really meeting a rigid demand as many professionals have a difficult time finding a nice private place to nap”.
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The Beijing-based startup launched has already launched two more nap-hotels in Shanghai and Chengdu since opening its first pod-filled room in May.
While there are no plans to bring the pods to the UK just yet, Xiangshui Space intend on opening new properties in cities such as Qingdao, Nanjing and Shenzhen by the end of July or early August.


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SAN FRANCISCO –Motor Co. has been criticized widely for its lack of a competitive small car in the U.S., especially when it builds some of the finest B-segment cars in the world in Europe and other overseas markets.
Pundits question whycan’t import those small cars to North America, a seemingly simple solution to compete against the hot-selling Toyota Yaris, Fit and Versa subcompacts here.
But it’s not that simple, says Freeman Thomas, Ford director-strategic design for North America Advanced Studios in California and Dearborn, MI.
“You have to look at the brand and what people expect out of a brand,” Thomas tells Ward’s at a media event here.
“I just came back from Europe, and I was looking at a lot of (subcompact) cars,” he says. “One of the things you realize when you’re in Europe is that small cars look really vulnerable. But (such cars are) OK for the European environment, because (car buyers) accept that.”
However, American consumers are more interested in “security and being safe and stable and also roomy,” says Thomas, a formerGroup designer.
What works in Europe will not work in the U.S., he says, due in part to differences in road infrastructure and the size of European countries compared with the U.S.
European cities and towns are close together, keeping vehicle occupants in constant touch with civilization. But U.S. motorists often travel great distances between populated areas, thus the need for a beefier, more substantial small car that envelops the driver with a sense of security.
“I try to design a perception of feeling secure,” Thomas says. “To achieve that is not just accepting what is there, but to negotiate with engineering to get things so they’re in the right place to support design and for design to support engineering.”
Despite the differences in designing cars for Europe vs. the U.S., there are trends the two cultures share that will influence future vehicle design, Thomas says.
“Obviously, we’re not going to show our hand as to what we’re bringing out as a small car,” he says. “But I can tell you America will influence European design to a certain extent, just the way certain styling, design and cultural trends have migrated back and forth.”
One practice the U.S. has learned from Europe is efficiency in packaging of a vehicle, Thomas says, citing the way in which U.S. cars have evolved over the last 50 years or so.
“If we go back to the old idiom of the 1950s that you basically styled the car (first and foremost), there was a lot of wasted space within the vehicle,” Thomas says. Borrowing from European efficiency can apply to the design of small cars, as well.
“It’s really about creating balance,” he says. “It’s getting the wheels out as far as you can (for more) room inside the vehicle. But it also is creating a design that communicates dependability.”
America has its share of influence on the rest of the world, Thomas says, not just in vehicle design but also in “sports trends, design trends, music trends, fashion and everything else.”
That’s because America is an open society that more readily accepts new ideas than older European countries, he says. Because America is an early adopter of new trends, consumers want choices, which differentiates the U.S. auto market from the rest of the world.
“As we start to design (a vehicle),” says Thomas, “our challenge is to create something we think could challenge and influence the Europeans to do something a little different.”


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CASTAGNOLE DELLE LANZA, ITALY, February 06, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/
-- In November 2012 Urschel International Limited Italy celebrated its opening by hosting an official ceremony. The event came almost a year after the company first opened for business and was attended by guests as diverse as Urschel customers, local dignitaries, and management from both Urschel Corporate and Urschel International.
Castagnole delle Lanza Mayor Marco Violardo presided over the official ribbon cutting using a golden TranSlicer slicing knife, specifically manufactured in honor of the event. After the ribbon cutting, local clergy led an invocation. Marco Cortese, Urschel Italy Sales Manager, was then awarded a plaque commemorating the new office presented by Tim O'Brien, Vice President of Sales.
"Thank you to all of the Urschel customers for participating in this event. The Urschel Italy office continues to set new sales records, and we are looking forward to many more successful years," stated Tim O'Brien.
Tours of the office were given and Urschel cutting equipment was displayed including the new AFFINITY large dicer. Many cutting demonstrations were featured. Refreshments and specialty gift baskets were given to all attendees. The event presented a unique opportunity to see the vast array of Urschel cutting equipment up close.
Founded in 1910, Urschel Laboratories, Inc. is an engineered-driven, global leader in food processing equipment. The company continues to partner with food processors worldwide to offer the latest in cutting machinery. To see how Urschel can assist your company, contact: Urschel Laboratories, Inc., Email: firstname.lastname@example.org, Web: http://www.urschel.com, Phone: +(219) 464-4811.
Founded in 1910, Urschel Laboratories, Inc. continues to be the world leader in the manufacturing of high capacity precision cutters for the food processing and related industries. For more information, visit our web site at http://www.urschel.com .---
Press release service and press release distribution provided by http://www.24-7pressrelease.com
# # #Read more Press Releases from Debra Novello:


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More products and retail expansion are in the works for Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics.
The collection, including six deliveries, will hit selected OVS stores starting from March.
The 16th annual WWD Beauty Inc awards ceremony recognized other achievements across the beauty industry.
Shoppers came out early to mass marketers to gain loyalty points, stock up on beauty for themselves and snap up beauty kits.
Independent brands were among the most buzzed about on Influenster’s platform. Kylie Cosmetics’ chatter ballooned 8.2 times, while Jeffree Star got 5.6 times more discussion than last year.
The actress known for changing up her tresses is launching a collection of a broad range of shades in the booming $5 billion business.
Taking a cue from its nail colors, SinfulColors Cosmetics will feature bold pigments in a line that will total more than 100 stockkeeping units.
The reality TV star and businesswoman is introducing a gardenia-inspired fragrance collection under her KKW Beauty firm.
To date, Jenner has only sold on her direct channels.
Lourd opened up about her recent RV purchase, while Woods revealed she wants to write a children’s book.
Jenner talked about the success of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” which just signed a long-term contract with E!
The member of the famous reality TV family is building up her denim brand.
The sisters questioned whether the purported photographer actually has any rights to the disputed images.
Sydney-based Khalil is launching new product categories and expanding his presence in London, Europe and Los Angeles.


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Starbucks’ UK tax payment falls to £8 millionComments Off on Starbucks’ UK tax payment falls to £8 million
Coffee chain Starbucks paid £8.1 million in UK corporation tax in the year to September 27, its latest results show.
The figure was down on the £11.4 million paid the prior year.
However in 2014 as part of its commitment to pay £20 million in corporation tax over two years, Starbucks decided to forgo tax deductions on royalties, capital allowances and other deductions.
The £20 million paid to the taxman came after it was exposed for paying virtually no corporation tax in the UK since launching here in 1998.
The company faced protests following the revelations, but said it wanted to put the scandal behind it and start paying taxes regularly.
Starbucks UK also reported a jump in pretax profit to £34.2 million from £2 million.
It was helped by factors such as shop lease negotiations and a 3.8% like for like sales rise.
Kris Engskov, Starbucks EMEA president said: “The strategy to offer great customer service, provide new and exciting experiences for customers in our stores, and improve our operating model is delivering.”


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May 22, 2015
Troia, Portugal - Graham Hill, Managing Director at JJ Roofing Supplies, was named Entrepreneur of the Year at the EMEA 2015 Business Excellence Awards, which was held at The Troia Design Hotel Conference Centre in Grandola, Portugal on April 23, 2015.
The Business Excellence Awards honor the “best of the best” results in small and medium sized businesses from around the world, and showcases exceptional results for business owners, entrepreneurs, their teams and their companies. The Business Excellence Forum and Awards are sponsored by ActionCOACH, the world’s number one business coaching firm. ActionCOACH Founder and Chairman Brad Sugars presented the award.
Graham Hill, and his company, JJ Roofing Supplies, have carved out a niche in the roofing and construction industries in London.
"When I joined Shweta Jhajharia at ActionCOACH in 2010, I was so impressed with her enthusiasm, knowledge and ideas that I took a gamble and immediately appointed her as my business coach." Graham said. "I am so pleased I took that gamble… because it actually turned out to be the safest bet! We have grown by 144% with improved margins, and we have even bigger plans for the future."
"Winning Entrepreneur of the Year is a real high point and I am very proud to have achieved it. It is a good feeling to know that my coach and my team are with me in pursuing even bigger ambitions."
The 2015 Business Excellence Awards and the 2015 Business Excellence Forum are sponsored by ActionCOACH, the world’s number one business coaching firm. The events are part of the company’s on-going commitment to innovation, business excellence and business re-education for owners and teams who operate and work in small-and-medium sized businesses.
In addition to the awards ceremony, the Business Excellence Forum featured seminars with six top speakers in the world of business, including Andrew Strauss OBE, John Davy, Dr. Mark Bawden, Assessments 24x7, CEO, Dr. Tony Alessandra; and ActionCOACH Founder and Chairman, Brad Sugars.
For more about the Business Excellence Forum and Awards, go to http://www.thebusinessexcellenceforums.com/


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To say that Disney adores technology would be an understatement. In addition to regularly incorporating every new gadget, technique, process, and possibility provided through technology into their creations, they also sponsor the Disney Accelerator as a way to provide immersive mentorship for technology enabled startups. This year, the second Disney Accelerator program selected ten startups to come to Los Angeles and spend three months building both their ideas and their production capabilities for products in the consumer media and entertainment arena.
Among the companies selected for this is Open Bionics, a group working on the creation of 3D printed bionic hands and Makielabs, a company well known for its creation of custom 3D printed dolls. These two powerful 3D printing startups have already been making a big splash and the mentoring program combined with up to a $120k investment in their ideas should help push them even further. Interesting to note is that both of the 3D printing companies that were selected have a strong social sustainability component to their platforms.
Open Bionics was formed by Joel Gibbered and Samantha Payne in response to the high cost and low functionality of existing prosthetic options for amputees or those missing limbs. With an estimated 11.4 million hand amputees world wide, their primary focus has been on the creation of hands that could greatly benefit those who either go without, or have only rudimentary devices such as hooks. The Bristol based operation has created a miniature hand and is “working really hard on a revolutionary new robotic prosthetic hand. It will be fully custom fitted and 3D printed to order.”
Alice Taylor and Matthew Wiggins are at the forefront of Makielab, an outfit that “lets kids bring toys to life by building their own customizable 3D printed toys through creative games and apps.” You may remember them from stories we’ve written about them this year, including their efforts to incorporate disabilities and other physical differentiations to create a truly unique, personalized, 3D printed doll as part of the #ToyLikeMe campaign.
The startups will work in the Disney Accelerator program until October 6th when there will be a Demo Day where they will present their company and the products to entertainment leaders and investors. The creations and ideas promise to be exciting as the startups have the opportunity to work with key Disney executives and leaders, venture capitalists, and a number of members of the entrepreneurial community. In addition, the companies selected will be allocated a dedicated working space, given support through Techstars’ global network of mentors, up to $120,000, and access to resources, relationships, and characters from Disney companies.
Both Open Bionics and Makielab have already proven that they have strong ideas, an understanding of marketing, and broad capabilities. Now we’ll see what a little Disney magic lets them do next.
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China's economy to pick up speed: experts
Beijing: China's economy will grow at a faster pace in the second half of 2012 on rising investment, exports and expanding housing market, experts said.
"We are confident that China will see a U-shaped economic recovery in 2012," the Centre for China in the World Economy (CCWE) said in a report on the economy.
The centre has forecast a GDP growth of 8 percent in the first half and 8.4 percent for the whole year, Xinhua reported Sunday.
Li Daokui, head of CCWE and former central bank advisor, said the economy is "showing healthy signs of stabilisation".
In the first five months, exports rose by 8.7 percent to USD 774.4 billion. Year-on-year export growth rose from 4.9 percent in April to 15.3 percent in May.
"The negative effects of slow export growth are gradually declining," the Beijing-based centre said.
The housing market has seen rising prices this year, showing the sector is recovering. These changes will promote investment and contribute to economic growth, it said.


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Windows 11 is now available for Insiders in the Release Preview channel
Today, Microsoft announced that Windows Insiders on the Release Preview channel can finally start testing out Windows 11. Previously, it had been available for businesses that had PCs being tested in the channel, but as of today, it’s available for everyone.
This is a pretty big deal, as it’s a major milestone for Windows development. The Release Preview channel is reserved for updates that are ready to ship. That means that yes, Windows 11 build 22000.194, or the build in the Release Preview channel, is the RTM build that should ship out to non-Insiders on October 5. It’s possible that there could be some servicing update between now and then, but this is considered to be signed off.
If you’re on the Release Preview channel and you’re new to Windows 11, there’s a lot to get to know. It comes with an all-new design, with a centered taskbar, all-new Start Menu, and rounded corners throughout the shell. That’s not all though. Widgets replaces News and Interests, Microsoft Teams Chat is built into the OS, and we’re getting all-new inbox apps.
Included in those are a brand-new Snipping Tool, a new Calculator, a Clock App with a new feature called Focus Sessions, a completely revamped Photos app, and more. Microsoft has even teased a new Paint app, but that hasn’t arrived just yet.
One feature that’s coming but not at launch is support for Android apps. Microsoft partnered up with Amazon to bring the Amazon Appstore into the Microsoft Store, so you’ll get apps like Kindle, Comixology, and much more. Indeed, Windows 11 is a big update.
As we know, the OS is going to ship on October 5. Some will see it in Windows Update on day one, and of course, it’s optional. The staged rollout will continue through mid-2022, but you can always force the update with the Media Creation Tool if you want to.
If you’re on the Release Preview ring, you can get Windows 11 today through Windows Update. If you don’t see it, your PC is probably not supported, as the minimum requirements were raised significantly.


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The ministry of commerce and industry has told the home and external affairs ministries to formulate a clear strategy on China and clarify the sectors and regions where Chinese investment is perceived as a security threat. The remaining sectors, according to the commerce ministry, should be thrown open for Chinese investment with a clear policy.
A source related to the development told The Indian Express that the commerce ministry has asked the two ministries to ?work in tandem and allow Chinese investors in sectors where there are no security concerns and if need be, region-wise, so that India can attract investments?.
The source said that due to lack of clarity on investment from China, only $313 million has found its way into India between April 2000 to April 2014, which is abysmal compared to countries like the UK, which has pumped in over $20 billion and the US, which has invested over $12 billion during the same period.
The move will go a long way in narrowing the huge trade deficit India faces with China. While exports to China were $14.82 billion in FY14, a mere 4.72 per cent of total exports, imports stood at $51.04 billion, leaving a trade deficit of over $36 billion. Earlier, the two countries had set a target of $100 billion by next year, which given the current situation, looks unlikely.
?Chinese have shown great interest in developing India?s infrastructure like high-speed railways, roads, power, and telecom. They are also interested in chemicals and plastics sector. If there is a clarity on views from all the departments, the commerce department can accordingly facilitate,? the source said.
Commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who visited China last month, called for increased investments from the country and signed a MoU on industrial parks, a development that will help in attracting Chinese investments in India.
During the UPA-II goverment, in response to the ministry?s proposal of FDI in railways, the home ministry had flagged concerns that Chinese investment could be a threat to security. Also, it had said that such investments should not be allowed in border regions such as Jammu & Kashmir and the North Eastern states.


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Apple aims to school rivals with new iPad, education apps
March 28, 2018
CHICAGO (AP) — Apple wants to play a more prominent role in education, but it isn't willing to cut prices to make the grade.
Instead, Apple is clinging to a thesis that has helped turn it into the world's most valuable company: Our products are more expensive, but they're worth it.
On Tuesday, the company introduced a variety of features tailored for teachers and students while keeping the price for its cheapest iPad tablet unchanged, even as budget-strapped school administrators have been turning to cheaper devices powered by software from Google and Microsoft.
The new iPad starts at $32...
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Opera Gives Verizon Feature Phones an Encore
Mar 31, 2011, 7:38 AM by Eric M. Zeman
Verizon Wireless and Opera Software today announced the availability of the Opera Mini browser on a number of Verizon's feature phones. The alternative browser is available to the the LG enV2, enV3, and enV Touch; the Samsung Alias 2; and the Casio G’zOne Ravine and G’zOne Rock via the Verizon Media Center / Get It Now content store. Verizon said that the browser will be available to additional handsets in the months ahead, and will eventually be pre-loaded on select handsets. Opera Mini is free to download and use, though users are cautioned to make sure they have a data plan.
Feb 9, 2022
Samsung today announced its lineup of flagship phones for 2022: the Galaxy S22 series. The top-end S22 Ultra sees the biggest changes as it essentially absorbs Samsung's Note series with an integrated S Pen stylus and a more Note-like shape and design, instead of the Contour Cut design of the other models.
Jan 14, 2021
Samsung today officially unveiled its Galaxy S21 series of flagship phones for 2021. All three models sport a distinctive new "Contour Cut Camera" design where the metal frame extends around one corner to surround the rear cameras.
Mar 23, 2021
OnePlus today announced the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, its newest flagship phones. The 9 Pro is a true flagship-class phone with a QHD AMOLED display with variable refresh from 1 to 120 Hz, and IP68 water rating, starting at $969.
Apr 14, 2020
OnePlus has revealed its new lineup for 2020 — the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro — both of which have 5G. They also manage to pack larger batteries into slightly thinner bodies compared to their predecessors.
Jan 3, 2022
A model previously rumored to have fallen victim to supply-chain issues, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE (Fan Edition) is finally coming to market this month. Samsung will use the new model as the more-affordable alternative to the forthcoming S22 series, rather than keep last year's flagship S21 models on the market at lower prices as the company has done in the past.


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News - Honda
Honda works on brand improvement
Customers returning to Honda on back of HR-V but more work to be done
21 Mar 2016
THE positive critical reception and strong sales of the HR-V crossover has marked a turnaround for Honda in Australia, but the company’s senior management admits that it has some way to go to rebuild its brand perception with consumers.
Launched early last year, the HR-V was an instant hit, capturing enough sales to catapult into the top sellers in the sub-$40,000 small-SUV segment with 10,899 units shifted, giving it a healthy 11 per cent share of the competitive segment after less than a year on sale.
It outsold the popular Nissan Qashqai (10,556) in 2015, as well as Subaru’s XV (7168) and the Holden Trax (6350) and was also largely responsible for Honda’s 21.5 per cent increase in sales over 2014 for an end-of-year tally of 40,100, the first time it had exceeded 40,000 since 2010.
Speaking with journalists at a special viewing of the new-generation Civic in Melbourne last week, Yarra Honda and Eastern Honda dealer principle Tony Jowett said the HR-V had been responsible for an increase in interest in the Honda brand.
“It has been significant nationally, it was the turning point for the brand,” he said. It gave us something new and fresh and sexy to talk about and we haven’t been in that space for while sadly. It has had a significant improvement to overall volume, therefore generating more service customers.
“Last month both dealerships (Collingwood and Doncaster) took numbers (for HR-V) equal to our total numbers that we were taking a couple of years ago when we bottomed out. It is significant.” Mr Jowett said the strong interest in the HR-V has also brought some much-needed optimism to dealers.
“Finally we find ourselves at a point where it is getting easier for us to go the market and recruit and attract people back to the Honda brand which has been a major challenge for us.
“All of a sudden, the jungle drums are beating about what’s going on at Honda.
Honda is about to have another burst. Staff morale is fantastic. Finally for the first time in a while we have a spring in our step.”
Despite the lift in sales and morale, Honda Australia general manager of customer and communications Scott McGregor said consumer perception of the Honda brand needed a lift.
“It’s fair to say from a primary brand perspective the brand isn’t where we would like it to be,” he said. “A lot of people remember how strong the Honda brand was in the 90s and early 2000s and certainly our intention is to get back to that place.
Mr McGregor said the tenth-generation Civic that arrives in sedan guise mid-year, should have a positive impact on the brand in Australia.
“It’s fair to say that the strongest brands in the market all have very strong small cars and that’s why Civic is so important to us in terms of this launch.”
Honda’s previous reputation as a semi-premium Japanese brand has slipped in recent years, but Honda Australia director Stephen Collins said he believed the company still has that reputation despite pressure from Korean and European manufacturers.
“I think we have been and are being squeezed,” he said. “Europeans are coming down with product and price and so forth. I think all the Koreans are trying to come up. And there is us and Mazda and a few others certainly in between.
“I think we cert want to have a prestige element. But we have got to deliver that in value to the customer. So I wouldn’t say we want to be European, but I think some differentiation is important. If you are in the middle it is a tough battle because of what is happening with the Europeans and the rising of others. We think the experience we give our customers can be a key differentiating factor for us.”
Honda topped last year’s JD Power Customer Service Index that measure aftersales and customer service levels of the mainstream brands in Australia.
The Road to Recovery podcast series
18th of March 2016
Honda looks to sporty future
Dowdy Honda image to get a rev up with NSX, Civic Type R and sportier core models
15th of March 2016
Honda pins growth hopes on new Civic
HR-V reignited Honda in Australia but Civic expected to pick up the pace
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Motor industry news


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California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed multiple waste and recycling-related bills, including legislation about hauler franchise agreements, a plastic gift card ban and several items related to last year’s landmark SB 54 extended producer responsibility law.
Newsom vetoed the bills on Oct. 8, saying they were unnecessary, duplicative of existing programs or could cause harm to small businesses. He has not yet acted on another notable piece of legislation that would add juice containers to the state’s container redemption program. On Oct. 10, he signed a right-to-repair bill that recyclers see as a way to divert more electronics from disposal.
Newsom has until Saturday to either sign or veto the remaining legislation, or allow it to become law without his signature. A two-thirds vote in both the state Assembly and Senate is needed to override a veto, but it’s unclear whether the following bills have the support necessary.
Here’s a look at some of those bills:
Vetoed bill: SB 751, addressing hauler franchise agreements and labor disputes
The bill was meant to prohibit local jurisdictions from entering into or updating a solid waste hauling agreement if a labor dispute would excuse the hauler from carrying out its duties. Labor disputes are sometimes included in haulers’ “force majeure” clauses that exempt them from fulfilling certain obligations during extraordinary events such as floods or fires. The bill was prompted by a 2021 labor dispute between Teamsters Local 542 and Republic Services in Chula Vista.
Haulers with ongoing labor disputes in the state would have needed to offer certain amends for disrupted service, such as refunds. WM, Waste Connections, Athens Services, and three state trade groups opposed the bill, but state municipal groups said it would help protect cities from liability.
Veto reason: Newsom doesn’t believe it’s necessary to change the state law, though he wrote in a veto letter that he appreciates the bill’s aim to prevent disruptions in local waste hauling services. “Local jurisdictions voluntarily enter into franchise agreements and currently have the ability to negotiate amendments to such contracts without legislation,” he wrote.
Vetoed bill: SB 665, creating a plastics working group
SB 665 would have established a working group to evaluate “novel” materials that could be used as alternatives to plastic in single-use products. It was meant to help the state implement some provisions laid out in last year’s SB 54, including a requirement that producers reduce the amount of single-use plastic they use by 25% by 2032. State Sen. Ben Allen, the sponsor of this bill, also sponsored SB 54, and work on SB 665 was designed to be complementary to prior SB 54 efforts.
The working group would have been tasked with delivering recommendations by July 2026 and would include members of state departments like CalRecycle.
Republic Services’ Western region, the National Stewardship Action Council and Rethink Waste were among the supporters. A coalition of recycling and packaging groups wanted more stakeholder voices represented in the working group, but weren’t listed as being formally opposed to the legislation.
Veto reason: Newsom considers the working group “unnecessary and duplicative of existing efforts.” CalRecycle is already in the process of gathering information needed to carry out the many provisions of SB 54, he said, including conducting needs assessments and industry surveys, as well as studies on waste characterization, source reduction and end markets, he wrote in a veto letter.
Vetoed bill: SB 303, an SB 54 “cleanup” bill
This bill aimed to clean up language and resolve several “ambiguities” from the original SB 54 bill text. One of the cleanup provisions in SB 303 has to do with adjudicating disputes between entities that are required to follow SB 54 regulations. It clarified that the arbitration process wouldn’t pause the producer responsibility organization’s implementation plans. The bill also called for minor clarifications to the bill’s definitions of “recycling” and “responsible end markets.”
Veto reason: Newsom says the bill would interfere with CalRecycle’s ability to meet certain regulatory deadlines. He suggests bill sponsors and stakeholders “work with CalRecycle through the regulatory process” to address the issues in the bill. State Sen. Ben Allen, the sponsor of this bill, also sponsored SB 54 and backed SB 665.
Vetoed bill: SB 728, banning plastic gift cards
SB 728 would have banned most kinds of plastic gift cards, which supporters saw as a minor way to help reach SB 54-specific plastic reduction goals. The majority of gift cards are made from PVC, which isn’t typically accepted for recycling. It would have prohibited most retailers from selling such gift cards starting in 2027.
Californians Against Waste was a main supporter, while Plastics and the California Chamber of Commerce were among the opposition.
Veto reason: Newsom said he was concerned the bill would negatively impact small businesses, adding that digital gift cards might not be feasible for some residents or businesses. He pointed out that the state has created other successful programs to reduce single-use plastics “while incentivizing businesses to transition towards more sustainable products and materials.” The legislature should consider “alternatives to a statutory, single-product ban” to help meet California's plastic waste reduction goals, he wrote in the veto letter.
Other vetoes to note:
- AB 1489: Specifies that compostable covered materials are not subject to SB 54’s source reduction requirements. Newsom said the bill would interfere with CalRecycle’s ability to meet statutory obligations by the January 2025 deadline.
- SB 777: Grocery and retail stores subject to the state’s single-use plastic bag ban would have had to provide a reusable bag return option and keep records of revenue received from the 10-cent bag fee. Newsom said the data collection and reporting requirement was too burdensome.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that Gov. Newsom signed the right-to-repair bill for consumer electronics.


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It's hard to believe that the Jaguar F-Type has been on sale since the 2014 model year as the sultry sports car is still one of the best-looking options in its segment.
Jaguar is now working on a major update for the car, with electrification, a digital dash, and revised styling all in the pipeline.
Autocar on Thursday posted spy shots of a prototype that reveals the updated car will sport slimmer, wraparound headlights instead of the current model's tapered design. The hood and front fascia will also be massaged to fit the new lights, while at the rear the taillights will be tweaked to match the design on the updated 2020 XE.
Jaguar Land Rover inline-6 engine
The British publication also reported that Jaguar will finally ditch the supercharged V-6 used in the F-Type in favor of an electrified inline-6 powertrain that's already been announced by Land Rover for some 2020 models. In the 2020 Range Rover, the powertrain offers outputs of 355 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque in P360 guise and 395 hp and 406 lb-ft in P400 guise.
The powertrain is a mild-hybrid setup combining a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 with a beefed-up electric starter motor that can aid the engine during high loads and recover energy under braking and coasting. There's also an electric compressor that helps build boost pressure before revs rise and the conventional turbocharger takes over.
Unfortunately, the replacement of the old V-6 may mean the end of a manual transmission in the F-Type, as the engine is the sole unit currently offered with the 3-pedal option.
2020 Jaguar F-Type Checkered Flag Edition
As for the interior, Autocar reported that a digital instrument cluster will finally make its way into the F-Type, along with an updated infotainment system with a larger touchscreen display. More electronic driver aids should also feature in the car.
The updated F-Type is expected on the market in 2020, meaning we'll likely see it arrive as a 2021 model.
The changes will allow Jaguar to bide its time until a successor can be developed, possibly with a battery-electric powertrain. It's a good call as Jaguar Land Rover this week announced a $4.6 billion loss for the previous financial year, meaning the automaker must focus on more profitable models in the immediate future.


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USADA head, Travis Tygart, said tighter controls were needed around products that may contain steroids and pointed an accusatory finger at DSHEA for allowing the situation to occur, but industry said the 1994 Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act (DSHEA) was doing a good job of regulating a diverse industry.
No regulation was capable of 100 per cent control over all activity, said Daniel Fabricant, PhD, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Washington DC-based, Natural Products Association.
Mend your own fences
“With respect to USADA's thinking, they're obviously taking their cues from organizations like Major League Baseball, and rather than mend their own fences due to their own problems with doping scandals and a failure to develop tougher testing regimes, its much easier to point to the supplement industry as a scapegoat, just like these organizations' athletes do,” Fabricant told NutraIngredients-USA.com. “I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all.”
Kenn Israel, the vice president of marketing at California-based Robinson Pharma, said the presence of a few “outliers” did not mean the regulation was failing to do its job.
“DSHEA is not the problem. It is the solution,” he observed. “We have the simple and predictable issue of a few outliers (read criminals) acting in a greedy and unsafe manner. In almost every market there will be fraud, cheating, and unsafe and unethical actors. DSHEA is precisely the correct mechanism to outlaw and prosecute such behavior.”
He added: “USADA should be celebrating a system that provided early signaling in the form of AER regulations, and empowered FDA to enforce criminal statues based on DSHEA.”
No widespread issue
Fabricant noted the NPA had randomly tested many products such as protein powders and creatine for the presence of steroids and found there was no widespread issue with stimulant and steroid contamination in such products.
“Thus, this is a very tightly regulated industry, and this was the case of an outlier adding what amounts to an unapproved drug to a product which is already a violation of the law.”
Fabricant said there would always be rogues that operated beyond the law in any business and pointed to the widespread safe use of dietary supplements by many Olympians as evidence of a well-regulated industry.
“It is time to realize that just like competitive sports unfortunately there are outliers that break the law and just as in sports while they may temporarily taint the sport, the champions that play in an ethical and responsible manner will always rise above,” he said.
“Instead of castigating the industry, Mr Tygart should look to communicate with the industry so he is better versed on what the industry is and what it isn't.”
The USADA investigation, part of a Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) probe, alleges some contaminated products have been distributed out of Max Muscle stores.
The home of Maurice Sandoval, former chief executive officer of American Cellular Labs, has been raided, in relation to the steroid products that have become popular with high school football players.
“The current regulatory system for dietary supplements allows these unscrupulous steroid salesmen to endanger the health of our youth,” Tygart said.


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Sir Philip Green said today that up to 275 of his Arcadia Group‘s stores, which include the Topshop , Miss Selfridge and BhS brands, could close in coming years as the company rebalances itself to reflect the new reality of growing ecommerce sales.
The news came as the company unveiled sales of £2.68bn in the 2010/2011 financial year, a drop of 4.3% on last year’s £2.8bn Pre-tax profits stood at £133.1m, down by 38% on last year’s £213.2m.
But while global sales were down by 4.3% in like-for-like terms, and by 1.8% in the UK alone, ecommerce sales grew by 27%. Green said that the results were “pretty good” given last year’s snow and the group’s decision not to raise prices.
The trend has continued into the current financial year. Arcadia Group said that in the first 12 weeks, year, like-for-like sales fell by 4.4%, while internet sales were up by 21%.
The company operates 2,507 owned stores worldwide while there are also 600 franchises. Leases on around 480 of those stores are due for renewal in the next two to three years. Between 250 and 275 of those would probably close, said Green, rather than run at a loss.
“If you look at our internet business it’s growing at 20%, there is a shift,” he said. “We have got more shops than anybody else and therefore rebalancing our mix is probably the right thing to be doing. I think this is as tough as it’s going to be – it’s reached everyone at every level. It’s not a small wave.”
Speaking to The Telegraph newspaper, Sir Philip said that consumer habits were changing. “People change their habits,” he said, adding: “Now there is a pattern, we’ve got a base and we have to build off that base.”
Chris Webster, VP head of consumer products and retail at Capgemini, agreed that shoppers were buying in different ways.
“We are still spending, but we’re being selective and this trend will be very apparent this Christmas,” he said. “Technology is evolving and so is the consumer. Gone are the days when we were limited to shopping just on the high-street and were at the mercy of the weather. Shoppers have become very savvy, out of both need and convenience – we’ll hunt down the best bargains online to get the most out of our Christmas budget, but also because we can, easily and conveniently.
“Retailers understand consumer behaviour and have adapted accordingly, embracing the opportunity devices such as smart phones and tablets offer them in connecting with potential customers.”


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KeyPoint Technologies (KPT), announced a global search partnership with Yahoo for KPT’s patent pending Search & Discovery platform Xploree. Xploree offers users a seamless search experience, powered by Yahoo, in one tap across apps. Users won’t need to leave the app they are engaged with, since they can search and browse for information without exiting the current app. Xploree with Yahoo Search,is available free on Google Play.
“Our study has shown that 15% of app interactions on mobile devices have been with a clear intent to search,” said Sumit Goswami, CEO – KeyPoint Technologies. “With Xploree, we are thrilled to offer users a seamless search experience powered by Yahoo within their mobile apps. We see this integration as a key enabler in hyper-contextual search across apps on mobile and are confident that it will transform the users’ app experience” he added.
Mobile search offers immense opportunities for innovative search and discovery players such as Xploree and its ecosystem partners to bring qualified value to consumer engagement. Search value potential can be gauged from Xploree’s beta studies for the ten most popular categories of applications for consumer search on mobile devices. The results show that search engines lead the pack at 34% followed by call directory at 17% and App Store (app discovery) at 16%. Consumers lean in on m-commerce search and social apps heavily albeit, slightly lower than the in-app search on messaging apps (12%).
Xploree is industry’s first user-initiated platform, currently for Android devices, that delights consumers with relevant brands and services discovery through their mobile journey across apps. Xploree powered by Yahoo search is available free on Google Play.


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The economic effects of the pandemic continue to impact heavily on businesses as latest Government statistics show that corporate insolvencies have increased by more than half compared to the same time last year.
Monthly research by the Insolvency Service shows that while the proportion of insolvent businesses in England and Wales fell by 3.0% in October to a total of 1,405, the number is 63.6% higher than October 2020’s figure of 864.
According to the Midlands branch of insolvency and restructuring body R3, the dramatic year-on-year increase in corporate insolvencies indicates the sizeable number of directors who are finding the post-pandemic hurdles too high to jump and have closed their businesses down.
R3 Midlands chair, Eddie Williams, a partner at PwC in the East Midlands, said: “The month-on-month fall in corporate insolvencies has been driven by a reduction in the number of Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations. There are still twice as many companies entering this procedure than this time last year, however, and nearly 20% more than in 2019.
“This would suggest that there are still a fair number of company directors who are choosing to close their businesses after deeming post-pandemic success unlikely. However, the fact that overall corporate insolvencies are 5% lower than the number in October 2019 suggests that the Government’s support measures have prevented the economic consequences of COVID-19 from translating into higher levels of corporate insolvency.
“The business climate is still harsh, with economic growth slowing, costs rising and consumer confidence falling. Although consumer spending is higher than it was this time last year, rising COVID case numbers and sharp energy price rises have meant many businesses aren’t seeing the benefits of this.
“As we move closer to Christmas, we would urge company directors to be mindful of the signs of business distress, which include cashflow problems, issues paying invoices, and concerns about paying staff, and get appropriate professional support as soon as they appear.
“The sooner advice is sought from a qualified and reputable source, the more potential there is for a solution. Many R3 members offer a free consultation to those who are looking for help with their business’s finances and want to explore their options.”


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SAN FRANCISCO – Today, the ACLU Foundation of Northern California is calling for Facebook to take responsibility and address disparities in the treatment of content by LGBTQ creators on its platform. Earlier this summer, Facebook repeatedly rejected a video advertisement for Unsung Lilly, Sera and Frankie Golding-Young’s band, which featured an image of the two women with their foreheads touching. Facebook called the ad “adult content” and “sexually explicit.”
“I wracked my brain wondering what could be sexually explicit about our video…and then I realized that it might be the image of my wife and me,” said Sera Golding-Young. “It’s a romantic image of us with our foreheads touching. We use it for all our profile photos across all platforms because we believe it’s a beautiful artistic shot of two people in love.”
Suspecting that the romantic image of Sera and Frankie was the reason their video was rejected, the couple decided to test Facebook’s advertising platform by running three different ads: the original ad with the romantic image, a second ad with a man and a woman in the same pose, and a third with a different image of Sera and Frankie. The three advertisements were otherwise identical. Facebook only blocked the ad with the image of the two women touching foreheads.
When the ACLU of Northern California reached out to Facebook, the company admitted that blocking Unsung Lilly’s ad was a mistake. But Facebook refused to say what algorithmic or human decisions led to the advertisement being removed and provided no explanation of why the test advertisements were accepted.
“The unjustified rejection of Unsung Lilly’s ad, and Facebook’s unwillingness to be transparent about blocking the ad, are yet another example of the company’s failure to take basic steps to rectify a system that is disproportionately harming vulnerable communities,” said Jacob Snow, staff attorney at the ACLU Foundation of Northern California. “Just weeks ago, we saw a Black creators page mistakenly deactivated by Facebook for no good reason. Facebook needs to take responsibility for those consequences.”
As the world faces an unprecedented pandemic that is financially crushing, many musicians and artists increasingly rely on Facebook as an essential tool to connect with fans. But when artists like Unsung Lilly are censored, there’s often nothing they can do.
The ACLU of Northern California is calling on Facebook to stop making excuses and start taking action. First, Facebook’s Community Standards and Advertising Policies should be audited to determine if standards for “adult” content disproportionately impacts the content of women and same-sex couples. Second, Facebook should be transparent and specific when blocking ads deemed to violate its policies. And third, Facebook should ensure that advertisers can contest the removal of content and obtain a meaningful review.


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- Traders await details from Washington amid mixed signals from the US President Trump and other media.
- Electronic card retail sales are on the domestic release list.
NZD/USD is taking the rounds near 0.6600 as traders remain nervous for the outcome from Washington meeting at the beginning of Asian trading on Friday.
The Kiwi performed better than other antipodeans, namely the Australian Dollar (AUD), on Thursday as comments from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) Governor Adrian Orr offered a bit relief to the markets after previous day’s rate-cut.
Adding to the pair’s pullback could be the overall US Dollar (USD) pullback and the nation’s comparatively loose ties with China that Australia.
Markets have been waiting for final words from the US-China trade negotiation table since recently after the US President Donald Trump gave slightly upbeat signals to the likeliness of a trade deal between the world’s two biggest economies.
However, tensions still remain alive as the Reuters’ report said that sources familiar with the matter said that China hasn’t respected the US demands in its 150-page draft agreement.
While there prevails little from New Zealand economic calendar to observe expected electronic card retail sales, developments surrounding the trade agreement will be in the limelight. New Zealand electronic card retail sales (MoM) for April could reverse previous -0.3% contraction with +0.8% gain.
The six-week-old descending trend-line at 0.6630 could limit the immediate upside of the pair, a break of which can recall 0.6685 and 0.6700 whereas 200-day simple moving average (SMA) near 0.6715 could be of importance then after.
Meanwhile, a downside break of 0.6570/80 support-zone seems to open the door for the pair’s decline to 0.6510, 0.6470 and October 2018 low near 0.6420.


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Some are infused with caffeine or protein. Others promise thicker hair or an arctic rush. These jack-of-all-trades products offer a whimsical, one-step solution to clean these dead strands of protein cells on your head, but can a single bottle really do the job well?
The answer is complicated.
The shorter your hair, the more likely you’ll find all-in-one shampoos perfectly fine to use, according to four cosmetic research and development experts we spoke with. Shampoo removes oil and dirt, cleaning your hair, but conditioner is intended to make your hair feel smoother and manageable. Shorter hair requires less conditioning, and standard all-in-one shampoos do deliver a portion of the benefits you’ll find in a normal conditioner, said Marisa Plescia, a cosmetic chemist with Bell International Laboratories in Minneapolis.
The longer hair grows, the more wear and tear it gets because of sheer exposure to the elements over time. Plus, there’s everything we humans do to our hair: We press it between two scalding plates, we curl it around hot iron sticks, we strip hair of its color and use a chemical reaction to create a brand new one.
“Mother Nature could have never figured out all the things that we do to hair in the name of beauty,” said Trefor Evans, the director of research at a nonprofit organization called TRI Princeton, which tests hair-care products for cosmetic companies.
Think of the surface of your hair like the tiled roof of a house, Evans said. Over time, tiles chip and crack. Conditioner manages the damage, smoothing over the tiles (known as cuticles). You’ll leave a wash with hair that feels soft and easy to comb. New conditioner formulas are actually given a “combability” test.
“For guys who don’t have particularly long hair, a little bit of conditioning is nice,” Evans said. “They don’t really need a full-blown conditioner treatment. You can probably get away with using the two-in-one.”
But what about someone with long, thick, curly hair? “Not even close,” Evans said.
All scalps have different needs, Plescia said. You should base your decision on how a shampoo or conditioner makes your hair feel after a wash.
“If you look in the mirror after you get ready for the day and think, ‘Oh, my hair looks good,’ it’s working for you,” Plescia said.
All-in-one shampoos hit retail shelves in the mid-1980s. Back then, the products simply added conditioning ingredients (no caffeine or arctic blasts). Randall Wickett, an emeritus professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Pharmacy, worked on some of the first products for Procter & Gamble. The modern all-in-one products will work for a lot of people, Wickett said.
“The formulations have evolved and improved a lot,” Wickett said. “A lot of companies have been working on this very hard for 35 years or so.”
It hasn’t been until the past 15 years that major brands — Axe, Dove and Suave — have created entire lines of men’s hair and body products, Evans said. Up until then,men tended to use whatever their wife or mother bought. Now, with entire shelves dedicated to men’s personal care in mass retail stores, all-in-one shampoos promising to save guys time in the shower have become some form of a meme.
Can you use body wash as a shampoo? Technically, yes. Body wash and shampoo both contain surfactants — albeit probably different types — and surfactants are what remove dirt from your hair and skin.
Science aside, the joke points squarely at the stereotypical, apathetic straight man who buys one bottle because, well, then he doesn’t have to buy two. It’s practical math compliments of American ingenuity. It’s one less bottle on the corner of your bathtub.
Behind the jokes on Twitter and Reddit, there’s often a biting commentary about the “pink tax” or the gendered expectations society places on beauty. Min Cheng, 23, a staffer on Capitol Hill, says all-in-one shampoos represent the bare minimum men can get away with in hair-care products compared with the dozens of products for women.
These bottles sell a “false dream of efficiency,” Cheng said, symbolizing the lack of effort expected or required for men in today’s world.
“It says to me that you don’t really know what you’re using and you’ve never put any thought into picking it,” Cheng said.
Jacqui Davis, a hairstylist and part owner of a salon in downtown Washington, said all-in-one shampoos are designed for “convenience and ease,” not hair care. Davis said that men who use only shampoo — or body wash — to clean their hair often come in to the PR at Partners salon complaining of dry scalps.
“Men come in, they say their hair is unruly but they’ve been shampooing and not conditioning,” Davis said, adding that more men have been asking her for recommendations regarding proper hair-care routines. “That’s something more and more men are becoming aware of.”
Steven Deleon, 21, an automotive technician in Roscoe, Ill., said he prefers using two separate products for shampoo and conditioner. For him, it’s like finding the right product to clean the leather seats in a car; you’d rather use wipesmade for that material than all-purpose cleaners that will get the job done on any material. It’s the same, from his perspective, for shampoo and conditioner.
“I feel the difference, but, you know, others might not,” Deleon said. “It doesn’t really matter if it’s men’s or women’s for me. Whatever works for my skin and my hair.”
There are few products a consumer interacts with more intimately than a shampoo, Wickett said. What you buy largely depends on one question: How does this pearlescent dollop of goo make you feel?
“You can make the best product in the world, performance-wise, and if it doesn’t smell and feel right, nobody is going to buy it more than once,” Wickett said with a laugh. “That’s the way it goes.”


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The Tourism players accused the TV channels of creating a "fear psychosis" about the flood situation in the Valley, contrary to the ground situation.
Marriott International chief global communications and public affairs officer Kathleen Mathews lauded India's new online visa scheme as "brilliant" for the country's economy.
From building a network of cobranded hotel properties to curating budget hotels, homestays and hostels, some technology startups are redefining travel industry.
From building a network of cobranded hotel properties across the country to curating budget hotels, homestays and hostels, a handful of technology startups are redefining the travel industry, for both hotels and travellers.
Media agency conglomerate IPG Mediabrands India has joined hands with the travel industry to launch a festival to boost online holiday bookings in the country.
With the Superdollar near parity with the euro, airfares to Paris are down 14 percent from a year ago, according to popular travel site Orbitz.
"Indian politicians must realise that it is not an elitist activity. It is an activity which is a job creator and it is an activity which will generate India's growth," he added.
Curated holiday packages don't come cheap; in fact, they can cost up to Rs 4 lakh per person on an average, around 10x the industry average.


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Disney’s ESPN is talking to emerging digital video services about licensing its sports programming, similar to its arrangement with Dish’s Sling TV, but don’t hold out hope for a direct online subscription to just ESPN.
“We do not believe it right now to be good business,” ESPN president John Skipper said late Wednesday at the Code/Media conference in California, according to Recode. Last year, a slew of channels like HBO, Showtime and CBS launched stand-alone subscription apps, for the first time allowing consumers’ to pay directly for just their programming alone online.
Without specifying which companies were courting ESPN for its content on new streaming services, Skipper said a “number of people have expressed interest.” Gadget giant Apple, for one, has been holding discussions to launch a digital television service for more than a year.
“We’re in discussions with a large number of people,” Skipper said. “Other people will enter into some market with lighter packages in this calendar year.”
ESPN, a lynchpin in Disney’s valuable cable TV business, has been struggling with questions about its long-term health since Disney CEO Bob Iger disclosed modest subscriber losses for the network in August. Earlier this month, Iger credited online services like Dish’s Sling TV, which offers online live TV streams from small bundles of networks for monthly subscriptions starting at $20 a month, for contributing to an increase in subscribers in recent weeks.
Dish has not disclosed Sling TV’s total subscribers, but Wells Fargo analyst Marci Ryvicker estimated them at 175,000 in a note Thursday.


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If you're having trouble with your holiday shopping this year, you can take comfort in this fact: everyone loves superheroes.
Most people don't buy comics in single issues, which makes the holidays the perfect time to catch them up on what they missed.
Let it never be said that Christian Bale doesn't help out his fellow Batmen.
Later this month, San Francisco will transform into Gotham City so a young Batfan battling leukemia can save the day.
Relax everybody, the Dark Knight is here in this latest Bat-tastic LEGO Movie teaser.
You know who never gets to be in comic book movies? Tom Hanks. You know who should really be in comic book movies? Tom Hanks.
Presented without comment.
Check out this cool promo starring the Caped Crusader stripped of color.
Yet another one of Ben Affleck's big-screen Bat-compatriots has just weighed in on his decision to don the cowl.
If you were wondering what DC's response to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. would be, you may officially wonder no more.